Returning vets flock to higher education

Saturday

Oct 26, 2013 at 6:00 AMOct 26, 2013 at 9:39 PM

By Elaine Thompson, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

WORCESTER — David P. Lauzon says he was a "knucklehead" when he was growing up in the city's projects during the 1970s and '80s. He preferred running the streets over being in school, so he ended up dropping out of Doherty Memorial High School in the ninth grade.

To try to escape the streets, he joined the National Guard at 18 and later enlisted in the Army and served in Iraq for two years. He was discharged on a medical retirement in 2009, after suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and hearing and memory loss caused by a traumatic brain injury he sustained from explosives and mortars when he was a squad leader and infantry platoon sergeant.

"When I got out I wasn't sure what I was going to do, but I knew I didn't want to go and flip burgers. I wanted to do something that would sustain me for life," said the 45-year-old married father and grandfather.

Mr. Lauzon said shortly after he got back to the U.S., he realized he should take advantage of some of the many benefits available for veterans. Using his GI bill benefits, he enrolled in a couple of remedial courses at Quinsigamond Community College the first year "just to get his feet wet."

"I was afraid of starting in college. I hadn't been to school in years. And, there was the transition from military life to civilian life. That was scary," he said. "The people at Quinsigamond have been extremely helpful. They made the transition bearable. I'm going to be moving on to a four-year college next year, and eventually I'm looking at working with the federal government as an environmental engineer."

Mr. Lauzon is among an estimated 1 million veterans and their dependents who have taken advantage of an enhanced GI Bill — called the Post-9/11 GI Bill — to enroll in higher education during the past four years as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan draw to a close.

Unlike in the Vietnam era, the federal government has stepped up efforts to assist veterans to improve employment outcomes and to encourage higher education institutions to reach out to veterans and give them specialized support.

According to a 2012 American Council on Education study, "From Soldier to Student II: Assessing Campus Programs for Veterans and Service Members," the Post-9/11 GI Bill, which updates the GI Bill of 1944, provides veterans generous support for educational expenses. Mr. Lauzon said the bill will pay for all of his educational expenses until he receives his bachelor's degree. The report also points out that institutions with a dedicated office and administrator for veterans and military students are more likely than those without such an office to engage in recruitment of and support for veterans.

Colleges and universities in Worcester County that have designated offices for veterans services and veteran affairs officers are the ones that have significant higher veteran populations. Mount Wachusett and Quinsigamond community colleges lead the way with about 300 veterans each. Worcester State University, to which many of the veterans transfer after getting their associate degrees, has 124 veterans enrolled this year.

Paula L. Ogden was hired as QCC's director of veteran services in April. She said she was hired after the dramatic increase in veteran students led college president Gail Carberry to ask for research on how other community colleges were serving veterans. She said that while some had veteran centers, none had a wraparound, one-stop shop for veterans.

She said she visits different veteran centers and American legions to leave brochures and to talk about how unique QCC is.

"We are unique. I'm here for veterans from enrollment to retention to helping them with graduation," she said. "In addition to academic support, we have special activities for veterans, and more are planned."

She said she has a freshman project whereby each new veteran is brought to her office to meet her. She connects them with disability and other services, and goes over their classes with them. Instead of having veterans running all over campus to find what they need, representatives of different areas of the college are brought to a cubicle next to hers.

This fall, for the first time, QCC held a special orientation for veterans. The school also held a special event Sept. 20, national POW-MIA day. Veteran students will march in the 60th annual Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11. A holiday event for veterans and their families is planned for early December. The school also has a movie-popcorn night and a birthday party for each branch of the service, where there is a birthday cake and favors for the veterans.

"It's just a chance to get to know them and each other and to get them engaged on campus. The more engaged we can get our vets on campus, the retention is better and in turn graduation is better."

Kristine E. Larkin, director of Mount Wachusett Community College's Center for Excellence for Veteran Student Success, said MWCC has been recognized as a top military-friendly institution for the past five years for creating a culture of positive energy and academic support for veterans, active military members and their dependents.

In 2010, MWCC, one of 15 colleges in the country selected to establish a model veteran affairs center, received a $400,000, three-year federal grant.

Ms. Larkin said MWCC has been military friendly since the beginning of the school in the 1970s, when Vietnam veterans were welcomed. She said the school consistently reaches out to prospective veteran students through community events, including speaking at veterans' organizations.

"I think the work we do is very important because these men and women volunteered to be in harm's way to make sure we're safe. The least that any one of us can do when they return home is to support them and provide them the services to help them transition and secure good jobs."

Alan E. "AJ" Jackson was asked to fill the newly created position of director of military affairs-veteran services at Worcester State University last October, to oversee the influx of veterans and to make sure that once they get there, they have everything they need to be successful. His first year was spent trying to get a handle on what veterans were enrolled and what their needs were. Now, he's starting to look at their social needs. Next week he plans to develop a Facebook page for the school's veteran population. Nov. 6 will be veterans appreciation day at WSU.

He said there are occasional dropouts, mostly because of external events in their lives, but for the most part, retention is very good.

One of the biggest problems is helping veterans transition from military back to civilian life. He said since veterans are used to being told what to do, it helps when they get clear-cut instructions on what is expected from them. He suggests some go to community college their first two years, and then come back to WSU.

"A lot of these people in these conflicts went in right out of high school. If we don't educate them…if we don't offer them programs, even certificate programs from community colleges, they're going to be unemployed. And that's the last thing we need having them coming back and being unemployed and having to use other (social) benefits," said Mr. Jackson.

Another big stressor is the Department of Veterans Affairs, in terms of veterans getting their benefits in a timely manner, he said.

Lynette Moon, a 29-year-old single mother, transferred to WSU from a community college in Michigan after moving here with her partner.

She said WSU paid for her books and provided her with a laptop computer until she could get her GI benefits. She has an associate degree in accounting and is working on a bachelor's degree in business.

"I wouldn't be able to afford this if I hadn't been in the service. Before I was enrolled, I was living paycheck to paycheck and barely getting by," she said. "Once I graduate and get a job, I'll be able to pay my bills on time and be more suitable for my son to be raised."

Information about benefits provided under the GI Bill is at www.gibill.va.gov.